OLD BRIDGE - Aldi's first store in the township is scheduled to open in the fall.

Work is continuing at the site at 1043 Route 9 North, which was formerly occupied by Pathmark.

"We are very excited to bring Aldi value to the savvy shoppers in Old Bridge," Aldi Center Valley Division Vice President Bob Grammer said, adding information regarding the grand opening date will be announced later.

Grammer said the new township grocery store will feature open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally-friendly building materials.

In June, Aldi hosted a hiring event for the new store to fill 10 to 15 positions, Grammer said.

"As an award-winning employer, we are proud to bring high-quality jobs to the Old Bridge community," he said.

The store will breathe new life into the former Pathmark site, which closed in 2015 and was rocked by a 2012 shooting in which two employees were fatally shot by a coworker who turned the gun on himself.

Aldi opened in April 2017 at 50 Racetrack Road and Route 18 South in East Brunswick. Other Aldi locations include Edison, Flemington, Linden, New Brunswick, Piscataway, South Plainfield, Woodbridge.

Aldi has more than 1,600 stores across 35 states, employs more than 25,000 people and has been steadily growing since opening its first US store in Iowa in 1976, according to its website.

In June 2017, Aldi announced plans to expand to 2,500 stores nationwide by 2022, making it the third-largest grocery store chain in the country. Aldi had said it will add 25,000 new jobs in stores, warehouses and offices.